


crushcrushcrush

by grimeysociety



Series: Darcyland Christmas Week 2018 [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Darcy Lewis Is a Good Bro, F/M, Fluff, Male-Female Friendship, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 08:58:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimeysociety/pseuds/grimeysociety
Summary: “I’m trying to gauge your motivation, Cap,” Natasha said, and Steve finally looked at her again.He swallowed. “Friendship.”“Sure,” Sam and Natasha said together, unconvinced.(a.k.a. Steve gets Darcy's name for Secret Santa.)





	crushcrushcrush

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was written for [Darcyland Christmas Week 2018](https://grimeysociety.tumblr.com/post/180944308038/a-darcy-lewis-holiday-challenge-hosted-by-ya), Day 1 prompt "Santa Baby". The tile of this fic comes from the Paramore song of the same name, which you can listen to [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei8hPkyJ0bU). 
> 
> A huuuuge shoutout to chocolategate for being my first ever beta! She was obviously a massive help, and guided me through the process of editing my own buffoonery.
> 
> This is my first time hosting a challenge and I'm super excited to see fanworks by my fellow Darcylanders! I'm hoping to write for all seven days but I'm also trying to not put too much pressure on myself. If you participate, please make sure that you tag your fanworks on Tumblr with #dlchristmas18 so I can find it and add it to the master post. 
> 
> Come join the Darcyland Universe Discord [here](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.gg%2F6MHx4US&t=YjY2ZjJlOTU3MTZiZDUzZTAyYmRhY2VjYTQzMmYzNDY3OWE1YTA0OSw0RzVOTjh3aw%3D%3D&b=t%3A6rZGMWsgGEK77xLgRnzPJg&p=https%3A%2F%2Fgrimeysociety.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F180944308038%2Fa-darcy-lewis-holiday-challenge-hosted-by-ya&m=1)!

Steve was leaning against the bench with his morning cup of coffee when Pepper shoved the white bowl under his nose.

“Secret Santa. Your turn to draw,” she said, smile bright.

Steve totally forgot about the gift exchange he signed up for back in November.

“Uh –”

“Steve, you said you’d do it,” Pepper said, her smile never faltering. “And I have it on good authority that your name has been drawn already.”

“Funny how quick you are to resort to peer pressure,” Steve muttered, taking a piece of paper from the bowl.

It was even funnier because Steve shot a PSA for middle-schoolers wearing the Captain America uniform on the subject of peer pressure. And Pepper was the one to procure the gig for him in the first place.

He unfolded the paper and his lips parted.

_Darcy Lewis._

He wasn’t sure if he hoped for a certain person, but the second he read her name he knew she was exactly who he wanted. If he got Natasha or Sam, he’d be more likely to know what to get them.

With Darcy’s name drawn, a warm, hopeful feeling fill his chest.

Pepper’s eyebrows rose as he showed her the paper.

“Noted,” she murmured.

“What about you?” Steve asked, and Pepper smiled again.

“Being the organizer is more my forte.”

Knowing Pepper, she already bought Tony’s birthday present for herself days ago.

“Present needs to be handmade,” Pepper added, and Steve felt his heart sink.

“Oh.”

-

Darcy was one of Steve’s best friends. Darcy said so frequently, and the day after he drew her name for Secret Santa, he was sparring with Natasha while Sam watched from his seat on the ground.

“Is it bad that I have no idea what to get her?”

Natasha landed a kick to his arm and he caught her, tossing her aside. Natasha landed on her feet like a cat and flipped her hair out of her face.

They determined that none of them drew each other for Secret Santa, and despite its name people were openly talking about what to get each other.

“Yes,” Natasha said, though her tone was light. “Because you spend enough time with her to know what she likes.”

She ran at Steve and he blocked her punch, trapping her arm in his and pushing it away.

Natasha promptly threw out her foot and knocked his ankle hard enough that he buckled in surprise, and then Steve had to steady himself.

“Hey, we said no kicking.”

“I lied,” Natasha replied. “And you need to get better at this.”

Sam chuckled from his seat and Steve shot him a look, not missing Natasha’s next attempt at punching him in the face.

He caught her wrist, staring her down.

“You need a break?” Natasha asked, smirking, and Steve let her go, stepping away.

“What if I drew her something?” Steve asked, ignoring Natasha’s jibe, looking past her at Sam.

Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Depends on the picture.”

“Or a painting.”

“I’m trying to gauge your motivation, Cap,” Natasha said, and Steve finally looked at her again.

He swallowed. “Friendship.”

“Sure,” Sam and Natasha said together, unconvinced.

-

Steve spent most nights in Darcy’s apartment watching movies. Steve quickly discovered that she was the one to talk to if you were after a particular movie.

She always had a movie in mind for them to watch next. She’d push the DVD across the table to him during lunch with her eyebrows waggling and Steve would smile back, his stomach doing flips.

After he drew her name, he knew he had to figure out what kind of picture she’d like. He might have to dedicate nights alone to perfecting whatever it was he decided on.

They sat together on Darcy’s couch two days after Steve drew her name as they watched their third Christmas movie together – _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_.

Steve tried not to think about her arm touching his, and he was sure she could see his hairs standing on end, but all she seemed to do was laugh at each joke while Steve was easily distracted.

“Something on your mind, Cap?” she asked, and Steve blinked at her profile for a second, wondering how to answer that.

Their friendship meant a lot to him, and anybody else could see that, too. Except he was aware of his deeper feelings threatening to spill over the more Natasha and Sam teased him that week.

“Just ask her out already,” Natasha said, and all Steve could do was avoid the redhead’s gaze and let his anxiety settle into the pit of his stomach.

There was a high chance that he’d disappoint Darcy by trying to make their friendship into something more.

Sitting with Darcy on her couch was his favorite thing to do, and he wasn’t about to sabotage that because he couldn’t keep a lid on things.

“Yeah. Just wondered if you ever had a portrait done.”

The words tumbled out, but he was determined enough to keep his tone even, and Darcy turned her head away from the screen as her eyebrows hiked up.

“You know this isn’t Regency England?” she began, making Steve’s lips twitch into a small smile. “A lady tends to use a camera or her phone to take a portrait.”

Steve broke into a smile.

“I went to art school.”

“So I hear,” Darcy countered.

She grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch beside her and paused the movie.

“You want me to do your portrait now?” Steve asked, and Darcy shrugged.

“No time like the present.”

She had a point. A very annoying point that Steve knew Natasha would make if she heard about this happening.

Steve made a show of looking around Darcy’s apartment, making Darcy smile back at him.

“You got pencils, Darce? ‘Cause mine are upstairs,” Steve said.

“I have a pen and paper. I thought artists were good at improvising a sketch.”

Darcy moved off the couch and padded into the kitchen area, going through her junk draw where her used batteries lived along with bits of scrap paper and old bills.

She returned with a biro and pad of paper, handing both to Steve.

She sat down beside him, her face turned toward his with her hair over her shoulder and her shoulders pushed back.

“You don’t need to do that,” Steve said, and Darcy’s stoic expression morphed into a more relaxed one.

“Oh. Sure.”

With a few strokes, she came to life, but it was still a basic outline. Steve could work with that.

“Can I see?” Darcy asked eventually, and Steve shook his head.

She scoffed. “Why not?”

“Because I haven’t drawn anything in years and I need to practice.”

Darcy pouted, a frown forming. “Bullshit. I bet you’re as good as ever.”

He really was, but Steve wasn’t about to say that. He wanted it to be a surprise.

He put the pad down, hiding his work, and gestured to the remote close to Darcy.

“We gonna finish the movie or not?”

-

He more than likely gave himself away by hiding the portrait and then dropping the subject, but once Christmas rolled around all Steve could think about was making Darcy’s day.

The whole team sat around the tree, all their gifts signed by S.S. as per Pepper’s rules, but everybody was clever enough to figure out Steve was Darcy’s Secret Santa once she opened hers.

She ripped the paper off the canvas and her mouth dropped. She put one hand over her mouth, her eyes travelling from the portrait to Steve opposite her on the carpet.

His chin was resting in one hand, covering his smile, but his nerves were still over the place.

“Steve,” she breathed, and she stared again at the painting. “It’s incredible, thank you so much.”

Steve swallowed, looking away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The portrait took three different canvases and nights fretting over shadows and proper contouring.

Steve liked to think it was the best thing he’d ever produced since the 1940's.

“You need a minute, Lewis?” Sam asked, watching this all occur with a small smile.

Darcy put the painting down and scooted closer to Steve, drawing him into a hug.

Steve felt her hands slide up to his face and he opened his eyes, seeing Darcy so close to him he could feel her breath on his lips.

“I got you, too,” she said, and for the first time she looked anything but relaxed around him.

She looked shy and hesitant.

“Mine was gonna be dinner. Dinner at my place,” she continued.

(“Get a room!” someone yelled, most likely Tony or Clint.)

“Like a date?” Steve asked, and Natasha snorted somewhere in the background.

Darcy smiled, and then Steve felt something smack against his face and fall to the floor.

It was a little sprig of mistletoe and Darcy kicked it away dismissively.

Her hands never left his face as she mumbled, “I don’t need that for this.”

They kissed, and Steve felt his nerves melt away.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and see you tomorrow. <3


End file.
